Star Gazer
by Loopstagirl
Summary: After a misunderstanding, John makes an irrational decision. He knows it is a bad idea, but he is a Tracy. And Tracy men do not back down, no matter what.
1. Chapter 1

**You guys just can't get rid of me at the moment, can you? I'm back again! Special mention to Silver Bee here, told you that I would get something up to liven up your weekend! Also to Sam1 for putting up with me talking about this, not to mention the deliberation of whether to post or not. Plus my confusing attempts to say what was going on without ever actually telling you anything, sorry!**

**I would also like to dedicate this one to my awesome big sis! I don't think I've ever written you a fic before, so this can be it for now. Why? Because, just like the Tracys, I will always be there for you whenever you need me, honey! Just don't decide to take up star-gazing!**

**Disclaimer: *shakes head sadly* Nope, still don't own them. They just won't give me the rights to our lovely boys in blue. Although I guess they need those rights, considering the big announcement this week! So yeah, don't own them! :(**

John sat glumly on his seat at the table, absently swinging his legs back and fro in the only way he could think of to alleviate the tension that had settled over the room. Alan was staying with their grandmother for the weekend as Jeff had to pop into the office early the next morning, and after a near catastrophe, didn't want to leave the boys unattended. Gordon, for the very same reason, was staying at a friend's house, leaving the elder three boys on their own for the night. Which normally would have been fine, great in fact, if it wasn't for the sparks flying from his only older brother and the only younger one left in the house.

"Scott, can you pass Virgil the salad, please?" Jeff asked, inwardly wincing whilst watching the glowers being shot between his sons. He had hoped they had moved passed this, but Virgil hadn't taken it well the fact that Scott was maturing, and coupled with his own progression into teenage years, had resulted in a row not seen the in household for many years. It was unlike Scott to have risen to it, but it appeared the elder had had enough of his brother's attitude. And whilst Jeff knew Scott was far from innocent in this, he could understand it to a certain extent. But now, watching his eldest deliberately pass the salad bowl via John so he didn't have to give it directly to the thirteen year old, Jeff wondered whether leaving that night to get to the conference on time was a good idea. He had hoped by making alternate arrangements for the youngest two that the elder three would enjoy the chance at some freedom, make a brotherly night of it. At this rate, he was going to be lucky if all three were left alive by the morning.

"So boys," taking another brave stab at a conversation, Jeff took a sip of his coffee, his attention now turning towards the poor boy sitting in between his rowing brothers. John looked miserable, and Jeff couldn't blame him. He had always been close to both of his brothers, but when it came to arguments, John had never gotten involved, even if it meant more insults coming his way because of it. Whilst Jeff admired that trait about his second born, it did mean he knew John didn't stick up for himself as much as he should perhaps do, even when at school. His father would be surprised if any of the others, even Scott, knew what the blond went through at school, but Jeff did. He had had the teachers on the phone more than once.

Deciding that the glowers were dictating more of the conversation than his feeble attempts, Jeff drained the end of his cup and stood up, clearing his throat self consciously.

"Scott, John, clear the table. Virgil, I want a word with you." As Virgil sullenly rolled his eyes and scuffed his way out of the dining room, his father close behind, the remaining boys glanced at each other before making a start in silence. Within minutes, the table was clear, and carrying through the plates into the kitchen after Scott, John dumped them on the side and went to fetch the towel, the routine of who washed and who dried on which days of the week one the boys were more than used too.

"Scott…"

"Don't, Johnny." Falling silent again at his brother's dismissal of his questioning, John glumly began putting the clean dishes away. He knew Scott was annoyed because he had to stay in on a Friday night to look after his kid brothers, or mainly, look after Virgil. At fifteen, John was quite capable of looking after himself, but his father still wanted Scott around if Virgil was going to be staying at home as well. The younger should have taken it as a compliment the fact his father thought him mature enough to stay at home rather than being whisked away with his younger siblings, but Virgil's mind was anything but rational these days. When all the plates were safely stored in the cupboard once more, John decided to try again.

"Scotty?"

"What is it, John?" His voice sounding as if it was running out of patience, Scott turned to look at his younger brother, wincing at the hurt look on the blonds' face. "Sorry, dude. What's up?"

"There is supposed to be a meteor shower visible tonight. Want to watch out for it with me?"

"Sorry, John, I promised I'd call Mandy."

"Oh." Sounding disappointed, John turned away, biting his lip. Whilst he prided himself on not reacting in the way Virgil had, at this moment in time, he could have easily done so. Scott's new girlfriend always came first, something that had never happened when they were younger. In fact, it wasn't even that long ago, only within the last few months really that Scott had decided his priorities had changed. No wonder the sparks had been ignited between him and Virgil. Seeing the hurt look, Scott bit his lip.

"Another night perhaps, bro?"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." His voice sounding as down as he felt, John trailed from the room, chucking the towel over onto the counter as he passed without looking back. Scott just didn't get it any more, these things didn't happen on another night. It was a rare thing, and John had been hoping to share it with his brother in the way they used too. Scott, it appeared, didn't feel the same anymore.

Watching the retreating back, Scott frowned, wondering what on earth had his little brother so down. Maybe Virgil was annoying him too, he was certainly wearing Scott's patience thin. He hadn't meant to snap at the kid earlier, but the persistent whine in Virgil's voice as he wanted his big brother to drop everything to come and play with him had gotten too much for Scott. He needed his own time now and again, something Virgil didn't seem to be able to understand. John, however, had been different, maybe it was something to do with the closer ages, he could understand more. Glancing at his watch, Scott did a quick calculation and knew that he had a little bit of time to kill before the promised phone call. Enough time, it would appear, to sort out John.

Exiting the kitchen, Scott almost didn't see his father until it was too late, stopping directly in front of the man with just about an inch to spare. Jeff himself didn't seem to have noticed the arrival of his son, blinking in surprise at Scott's small exclamation of surprise. Glancing again at the stressed out features of his father, Scott grimaced.

"Talk not go too well then?"

"That boy is worse than you and John put together. Scott, I've sent him to his room for the rest of the evening, it's up to you when I leave to make sure he stays there."

"Yes, Sir." Scott replied automatically, not covering up the slight bitterness in his voice quick enough however. He didn't mind looking after his younger brothers, in fact, if he was honest, nothing gave him more of a thrill, but having to reinforce a punishment on one that already seemed to hate him was not going to make his evening pleasant, that was for sure.

"Problem, Scott?" Jeff asked, instantly picking up on the tone in Scott's voice. Frowning slightly, he instead turned his annoyance at the boys to the one in front of him. "You know you shouldn't have risen to the insult, son, I thought you knew better than that?"

"But Dad, he-,"

"I don't want to hear it, I know enough. The way you two were yelling at each other, I think the whole street knows enough."

"Dad-,"

"Enough, Scott. Don't make me have to think twice about leaving you in charge of your brothers. Just because you've proved you are responsible enough doesn't mean I can't change my mind. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good boy," Jeff added in a gentler tone, not being in the mood to have two sons angry at him. Walking passed Scott, he reached out a hand and ruffled the youth's hair, smiling at the good natured grumbling that came from the action. Mission complete.

Bounding up the stairs as soon as his father had disappeared from sight, Scott skidded to a halt outside of John's shut door. There must have been something going on with the younger boy, for John barely ever shut his door. Knowing he would have to play this carefully or risk having one of the worst evenings ever, Scott took a deep breath and tentatively knocked on the door.

"Come in." John's tone, whilst lacking its usual underlying energy, was as close to normal as his brother could hope for, and feeling slightly more positive, Scott pressed down on the handle and let himself in, blinking in surprise when he saw John sitting at his desk, clearly working.

"What'cha doing, dude?"

"Homework."

"John, it's a Friday." Unable to hide the surprise in his voice, Scott frowned at the back of the fifteen year old's head. Apart from during exams or something equally important, none of the Tracy boys, not even the hard working John, could be persuaded to do their homework on a Friday, preferring instead to take the time off to spend with each other. The bonds of the family had always been strong, something that had only increased in the last couple of years.

"I know. Busy weekend, need to get it done." Feeling like he was being dismissed, Scott instead decided to try and stand his ground on this one, determined to figure out what was up with John.

"What you got planned then?"

"None of your business."

"John!"

"Listen, Scott, don't you have calls to make?" Finally spinning around in his chair, John glared at his only older brother, annoyance spiralling out of him. Why should Scott all of a sudden care what his brother was up too, he hadn't shown an interest in the slightest over the last couple of months?

"Fine, suit yourself." Scott muttered, trailing from the room and shutting the door behind him with more force than strictly necessary. Throwing his pen down the second the older boy had left the room, John rocked back on his chair, all pretence of working gone. He couldn't blame Virgil for getting so annoyed with their older brother lately, Scott seemed to have forgotten they existed. Which was ironic considering it had always been him telling them how Tracys' stuck together, no matter what.

"Damn him." John muttered sullenly to himself, desperately trying to ignore the guilty feeling the moment he uttered the words. He knew Scott was growing up, he had just reached seventeen after all. John himself was starting to get to the stage where he had times where he just wanted to spend some time by himself or with his friends without the younger ones trailing along. But he couldn't help feeling betrayed by Scott's lack of interest in what was going on tonight, he knew how important this meteor shower was to his brother.

Reaching under his bed, John carefully pulled out his telescope, knowing that it was going to take him a while to get it all set up and in position. He wasn't as quick as he used to be with setting it up, over two years of not using it after his mother's death meant he had gotten a little rusty. He wouldn't forget the pride mingling with the tears in his father's eyes when he had caught sight of his second born once more gazing at the heavens, a clear sign that he was coming to terms with what had happened. But John had a promise to keep, and he wasn't going to let his mother down on this one.

It did indeed take him a while to set up the equipment he would need to last the night out. Eventually though, everything was in place save for one thing. Slipping out his bedroom, John ran swiftly down the stairs and into the kitchen, flicking the lights on casually as he passed. A few moments later, however, and he was carefully making his way back up again, hot chocolate clasped firmly in one hand with the chocolate bar sticking out of the opposite pocket. Now he was all set.

Sitting himself comfortable on the very edge of his bed where he could have a clear view straight out of his window (John _had _been very specific about the set up of his room), the blond sighed contently as he took a sip of his drink. He didn't need Scott for this, just him, his telescope and his beloved stars. In fact, it would be better without his brother, Scott didn't have the same appreciation, he was just humouring his brother. Wondering if his train of thought was doing anything helpful to make him forget the lack of brother by his side, John took another sip, resting his chin against the rim of his mug.

Hearing a sudden sound against the window, the youth sat up sharply with a curse, almost spilling his drink as he did so. Carefully putting it down before he did anything else, the blond then leapt to his feet, rushing over to the window and staring out in dismay at the heavy rain clouds that had gathered, their contents already beginning to spill over. John knew enough about the weather to know this was going to be no ordinary shower, but a full scale thunderstorm. He had missed the weather forecast all week, something he was obviously now paying for. If he had known, he could have arranged with his father to go across to the barn on the other side of the field, where father and son had set up a much more powerful telescope back when his mother was still alive. Many a night the older members of the family had camped out there, taking sleeping bags with them and using the more sophisticated equipment there to get a better look, even through a thick cloud cover. So you still couldn't see a lot, nature had a way of winning like that, but you certainly had more chance than through John's much smaller telescope.

His heart suddenly pounding fast, John sucked in his breath as a thought flickering across his mind, almost startling himself with the rebellion of it. Jeff had always strongly maintained that none of the boys could go over to the barn on their own, it was a winding route through a dark field, but surely, if he was back before Scott went to bed, no one would ever know. Biting his lip, John thought hard. He had never been one to go against the wishes of his father, he had seen the consequences of that through his brothers more than enough times to know that his father's wishes were to be respected. But his father would never know. Virgil was clearly in his room and if Scott was talking to Mandy, John knew he could be there and back before the aspiring pilot knew he had left. The meteor was scheduled for around eight o'clock, meaning that if there was any sighting of it, it would be done by nine.

Not knowing whether he had the guts or not, John once more opened his bedroom door, listening hard for what the remaining occupants of the household were doing. He had heard his father leave whilst he was still setting up his telescope, absentmindedly yelling his confirmation that he would do as his brother said without truly hearing what he was agreeing too. Music was coming out of Virgil's room, a clear indication that the young teenager was taking out his frustrations on his poor keyboard. And whilst Scott wasn't the only one to have had enough of Virgil's new found attitude, John had to admit that his brother was good. If this was what he could come up with whilst in a temper, John couldn't wait to see what he did when he set his mind to it. However, it wasn't Virgil he was particularly interested in. No, he had to make sure Scott wouldn't hear anything. Unfortunately, Virgil's aggressive tune was blocking the sounds of whatever Scott was doing, making John have to steal down the hallway in order to hear better. If Scott came out of his room now, any plans John was half forming would be gone in that split second.

Creeping up to Scott's door, John held his breath as he leant closer, thankful that the door was shut. It would have been a bit of an obvious give away if Scott had left his door wide open the way he used to do. For a moment, the blond could hear nothing, and for a split second, he was tempted to just go back to his room and push the idea far from his head. Suddenly, however, a laugh echoed out from the room as his brother murmured something so softly that John found himself leaning forward automatically to hear what was being said.

"…you know where I'd rather be." Jumping back from the door again, John stared at the wood, the weight of his gaze meaning he wouldn't have been surprised if it had started to smoulder. Hurt and betrayal flickered in his eyes as John set his jaw. That did it. If Scott didn't want to be stuck here looking after them, then John would make his job a lot easier by not being here.

Tiptoeing back up the corridor as fast as he dared, the teenager was more than tempted to slam the door in a mirror image of Virgil's earlier behaviour, but he knew that would mean Scott would have been out his door like a shot. No, this time, stealth was required. As quickly as he dared, he packed his telescope away, slipping it into his bag. He knew the one at the barn was better, but John wanted the piece of equipment with him, just in case the sky cleared up. He certainly knew which one he preferred using. Taking a final swig of his drink, John winced slightly at the heat, tucking the chocolate bar back into his pocket at the same time. There were some pieces of equipment, telescope aside, that was crucial for a night star gazing.

Shouldering his back, John quickly picked up his shoes and his coat and stole from his room. Running swiftly but silently down the stairs, he skidded to a stop by the back door, knowing it was not only closer to the destination he had in mind, but it didn't creak as loudly as the door at the front of the old farmhouse. The back door was relatively new in comparison, Gordon hadn't learnt how to use his brakes on his bike very quickly. John didn't think he would ever forget the look of horror on Scott's face as their younger brother had shot past him with a somewhat startled expression, being too scared to hear what they were yelling at him. Pushing the somewhat fond memories from his mind, John put his bag down and pulled on his boots, making sure the end of his trousers were firmly tucked in. He didn't want wet socks, not if he could help it. Shrugging into his coat, John zipped it up as far as he could and pulled his hood up. With a final check that his bag was waterproof and sealed, the youth sent a somewhat guilty glance up the stairs before silently slipping out into the cold, wet night.

It only took John a matter of seconds to know that this was a bad idea, that he should just go back inside, slip up the stairs, enjoy the rest of his drink, perhaps even stick a movie on and relax in the warm and the dry. Sparing the house a glance of his shoulder, John found his gaze involuntarily drawn to Scott's bedroom window. For a moment, he was hypnotised by the warmth of the light spilling out, but as his brother moved across to the window, John frowned. Scott's shadow was enough to tell him his brother was _still _on the phone, and in that moment, John Tracy knew he had to see this through to the very end.

With a new found determination, the teenager hoisted his bag further onto his shoulder and set off, his shoes rubbing slightly as he climbed over the gate and began trudging his way through the field beyond. He knew technically they were slightly to big, but when Scott had declared he had grown out of them and did John want them, the blond had been hard pushed not to yell out in excitement. He may have only been fourteen at the time, but to him, it was Scott's recognition of the fact John was deemed old enough to have shoes like that which mattered to the boy. Even now, pretending as hard as he wanted that he didn't care Scott didn't spend the same amount of time with him, he had still automatically taken with him one of the few things he owned that had belonged to his big brother.

Pulling his hood tighter around his chin, John shivered as the cold rain soaked through his jeans. Even with his coat on, he was cold, a harsh reminder he only had a t-shirt on under the waterproof. His fiery determination was the only thing making him push on, despite a rather large part of him knowing that this was foolish. Whenever he had these nights with his father, Jeff organised them for days in advance, making sure they would have everything they needed. It appeared John was just discovering why he shouldn't do this as a spur of the moment thing.

Pushing the thoughts angrily from his head, John secured his bag once more and broke into a run. He wanted to see this meteor shower, and neither the weather or his big brother were going to stop him. Jogging his way through the muddy fields, the teenager grimaced slightly at the way his feet were sinking into the mud, knowing he was going to have to clean the boots up before he got back, it would have been a clear sign that he had been out otherwise. His pace quickened as the rain got even heavier – despite him not thinking that was possible – John didn't notice the path begin to curve away from the familiar route, the constant rain over the last few weeks having caused the mud to shift and form a new path. So intent on proving Scott wrong, John just followed the path in front of him, not particularly noticing that it was beginning to lead him away from where the barns should have been coming into view and into the trees that littered the edge of the property. The rain obscuring his vision and causing him to keep his head down, John didn't notice that he was among the foliage until a root suddenly tripped him. Yelping in pain, John went down hard, another yelp crossing his lips as his shoulder collided hard with the edge of his telescope. Pulling his left ankle into him with a slight whimper that he would never had let his brothers, older or younger, hear, John shakily pushed himself to his feet, leaning his entire weight sub consciously on his right. Peering about him in confusion, the teenager felt a tendril of fear begin to tease around the edge of his soul since he had set off on the trip. Spinning in a circle to get his bearings better, John's breath came in short, sharp gasps as he realised, despite being close to home, that he had no idea where he was.

TBTBTBTBTB

Scott slammed his bedroom door shut behind him, wincing slightly as the bang was sent spiralling around the house. It was a clear sign that his father was in his office doing some last minute preparations for the trip, otherwise he would have been up the stairs like a shot, reminding his first born of the rules regarding door shutting in the house. How many times had that conversation been had between Jeff and his children, especially since Virgil's discovery of having an attitude? Thinking about his middle brother, Scott sighed, running a hand through his hair distractedly. He did not want to have to be in looking after them. It wasn't the idea of having to babysit his brothers that caused the problem, he had been looking out for them almost before he could remember. It wasn't even like he had anything better to do. No, it was the fear that having to reinforce his father's punishment, even to some extent, was going to lead to yet another row, and quite frankly, Scott was fed up with them. Virgil had found it fine to ignore him for weeks on end when he had first got accepted into his art club a few years ago, why should this be any different? Despite questioning himself, Scott knew precisely. It wasn't the age difference as such, but the ages they had both reached at the same time, both moving onto the next step of their lives without being prepared to see anyone else's opinions.

Sitting down on the edge of his bed, Scott leant forward, resting his head in his hands for a moment. He wandered whether he should try and perhaps make it up to Virgil after his father left, let the young artist off the punishment, apologise to John for whatever it was he had done, sit them all down with a large bowl of popcorn (which John could do the making of, Scott's kitchen reputation was somewhat legendary) and crash out for the evening. Deliberating the idea to a greater extent, Scott slowly stood up from the bed and moved across his room, intent on making good on that now, but as soon as he reached the door, he knew it wasn't going to work. The tune coming from Virgil's room indicated quite the mood the boy was in, and Scott knew no matter what he did, it wouldn't be enough for the youngster. Besides, John's abrupt dismissal of his brother earlier meant Scott knew not to push him. At least Virgil's temper, whilst fiery, was relatively short whilst it lasted. On the rare occasions that John snapped, nothing could calm him down again for hours, if not days. Hearing his cell go off, Scott grimaced slightly. Mandy was never happy when he made her wait, and with a quick glance at his watch as he dug the device out of his pocket, Scott knew he was late.

"Hellllooo," he drawled, snapping the phone open, a grin automatically jumping onto his face as he caught sight of the caller ID. They hadn't been together long, but Scott knew they were the envy of the school, she was gorgeous.

"Come over, Scott?" A pleading voice sounded in his ear, not even bothering to return his greeting. Sighing, the smile instantly left Scott's face.

"You know I can't, Mands, I'm with the guys tonight."

"Scott, they are your kid brothers. Sneak out, they won't care. Bribe them if you have too."

"Mandy, I can't. "

"You are always looking after them, Scott!" Rolling his eyes, Scott lay back further back, staring absently at the ceiling as he waited until Mandy ran out of steam. He had only asked her out originally because she was such a looker, and now, if he was completely honest with himself, he was regretting it. The first couple of weeks had been great, but when Scott had rushed home from school one day on hearing that Alan had been sent home sick, something had changed between them. Mandy was constantly accusing him of putting his brothers first, and despite his reassurances, Scott knew she was right. What was bugging him slightly more was that he found he didn't particularly care. Nothing she could say was going to get him to change that.

"You know I have too, Mands. More than that, you know I want too."

"Scott, it's not fair. You are always putting them first."

"I told you, they are my brothers. I told you weeks ago they were always going to come first."

"Fine. Them or me."

"W..what?" Unsure whether he had heard properly, yet his heart telling him he had, Scott stared at the hole in his carpet, his mouth suddenly dry. He should have known that was coming. The pair of them had nothing in common apart from their status' at school.

"Them or me. Your choice, Scott. But I expect my man to always put me first."

"Then find someone else." Scott said bluntly, not caring if he sounded rude.

"Pardon?"

"You heard me. You or them? Fine, them."

"Don't do this, Scott." The whining hint was back in Mandy's voice, but Scott suddenly realised for the first time just how annoying it sounded.

"Bye Mandy."

"Scott..." Snapping the phone shut, Scott sighed heavily as he stared at his cell, clutched in his hand. He felt disappointed, that was for sure, but even more so was the feeling of guilt. Not because he had broken it off with her, but because he didn't care that he had. Wondering if what he had done was right, Scott visibly jumped when his phone started vibrating again. His heart thudding loudly, a quick glance at the screen made him smile once more.

"Hey, Tobs," flicking the phone open again, Scott exhaled deeply, never having been more pleased to hear his best friend's voice than he did right now.

"You ok, dude?" His small smile turning into a grin, Scott sat up, knowing that Toby would have been able to tell something was up.

"Wait, don't tell me. My physic powers tell me that it is ...wait, I'm getting something through... it is something to do with a girl..."

"You're getting hot."

"I know, dude, I know." Ignoring Scott's muffled laugh, Toby continued. "I am guessing it is something to do with a certain someone called Mandy, and judging by your voice, she just gave you the ultimatum."

"You don't sound surprised."

"Dude, I told you from the start she is bad news. Anyway, my psychic powers come in handy."

"You sound like John."

"How is the little tyke?"

"Toby, he's fifteen. Don't think he would appreciate that, somehow."

"You're big tyke, he is little tyke, Virg is midget tyke, Gordon is teensy tyke and Alan can be... erm... haven't got as far as Alan yet." Unable to wipe the smile of his face, Scott stood back up again, sure that he heard something other than Virgil's frustration. It had sounded like footsteps, but listening hard, Scott couldn't make out any other noise. He'll check on the boys once he was off the phone. Little did he know who was standing directly outside of his door. Realising that Toby was talking again, Scott snapped his attention back to the friend that had practically become part of the family.

"...so if the ultimatum was the scary household of hers, or the Tracy household, which did you pick?"

"Honestly, I thought you knew me. You'd know where I'd rather be." Frowning, Scott glanced towards his door, this time certain that he had heard something.

"Toby, can I call you back?"

"Uh oh, I know that tone, the big brother instincts have kicked in. Go get 'em, tiger."

"Shut up, jerk. Laters."

"Bye, Scott!" Nothing but friendliness in their voices, the boys disconnected, leaving Scott standing in the middle of his room, the phone clutched anxiously in one hand. As much as Toby was joking, he was right, Scott's instincts were kicking in. He couldn't say what it was that was bugging him, only something didn't feel right. Inching open his door, Scott winced as he could have sworn Virgil's music had suddenly got even louder. No, it wasn't Virgil that was causing him the problems, that younger brother will still exactly where Scott had left him. Walking softly down the corridor, Scott was not quite sure why he was trying to be so quiet about it. It wasn't as if he was doing anything wrong, he was merely trying to make sure that his little brothers were alright. However, the eldest didn't want another confrontation, with _either_ of them, and if John in particular found out that Scott was checking up on him, he wouldn't be impressed. Coming to a stop outside John's door, Scott held his breath as he pressed his ear to the wood, desperately hoping that said person wasn't about to walk out. Little did he know that he was mirroring his brother's exact position from less than five minutes ago. Hearing the sound of something being moved across the floor, Scott stretched his hand out to knock, and then thought twice about it. He knew what that noise had been, it would have been John moving his telescope, setting up for the big meteor shower. Now he had no Mandy to bother with, Scott desperately wanted to go in there and talk to his brother in a way he hadn't for months, but knew that it was best to leave it an hour or so. No doubt John hadn't forgiven him for his early dismissal. Despite not being sure quite what he had done to upset the younger boys over the last few weeks or so, if there was one thing Scott Tracy did know, it was how to sort them out again.

Biting his lip with indecision, Scott suddenly made up his mind. Moving quickly, he made his way back to his own room. He would give John half an hour, then go in, possibly armed with chocolate as a peace offering. Depending on the reaction, the two of them might be able to persuade Virgil to join them and the brother evening Scott was so desperate for would still be achievable. Moving around his room, the eldest son of Jeff Tracy decided that he may as well sort some of the mess that was his room out in order to kill time. It just showed how anxious he was to make things up to the boys, he was resorting to tidying. Wondering if perhaps that would give away to his father that things had been tense, Scott paused, suddenly remembering his promise to call Toby back. Snapping out his phone, Scott dialled in the number.

Within a matter of moments, all that was needed to be said had been. Scott found himself absently wondering over to his window as the two boys spoke, glancing out into the field below. Almost doing a double take, Scott qucickly said his goodbyes, frowning as he tried to make out the darkened ground below. He could have sworn that he had seen something move, but with the rain now pouring onto the window, his vision was even more restricted than before.

_Rain._

"Damnit," Scott suddenly cursed, sending himself flying across his room as he realised what the rain would mean for John. He refused to let the thought of someone being out in the field cross his mind. There was no way John would be that irresponsible. But then again, he had been in a mood unlike any Scott had seen him in for a long time.

Skidding to a stop next to John's door, Scott was instantly aware that he could hear no movement from within. Virgil was still thumping out the music, but all was still in the next brother's room.

"John?" Not waiting for an answer, Scott strode in, his heart dropping as he looked around him. The case for John's telescope was open on his bed, but the actual instrument was as elusive as it's owner. Swallowing suddenly nervously, Scott moved further in.

"Johnny? You here, dude?" His eyes falling on the half full mug next to John's bed, Scott knew. He had known ever since he had first thought he had seen movement, but as he reached out to touch the rapidly cooling mug, there could be no denying it. Luckily, Scott was almost certain he knew where his brother was going. Sprinting out of John's room and back into his own, Scott was back in the hallway within a matter of seconds, his coat and shoes clutched in his hand.

"Virgil?"

"Go away!"

"Virgil, come out, I need to talk to you."

"_Now_ you want to talk. I'm busy, go away!"

"Virgil..."

"Leave me alone, Scott!"

"Damnit, Virg, John's gone!" Silence instantly fell at Scott's exclamation, and within a matter of seconds, the sound of a chair being dragged away from the door filtered out to the hall. The door opening slowly, Virgil's head eventually poked out, his eyes instinctively darting towards John's room .

"He's gone?" Nodding, Scott didn't trust his voice to answer. How could he have been so stupid? He should have checked on them properly, he knew how frustrated John had been. He had even known that there was rain planned for tonight, but it had completely slipped his mind what that would mean for his star-loving brother. He couldn't believe that John would risk heading over to the barn on his own. Blinking, Scott noticed with a start that whilst he had been lost in thought, Virgil had ducked back into his room. Now, however, he was standing in front of his brother, his own coat and shoes ready.

"You are not coming."

"Just try and stop me."

"Virg, I am not taking you out in the dark and a storm. Stay here."

"He's my brother too, Scott." One look at the determined look on Virgil's face, and Scott backed down. He didn't want Virgil out there, but if it meant they could get out there rather than wasting time arguing, he was not going to push it. Grabbing the flashlight out of the cupboard at the end of the hall, Scott lead the way downstairs. Five minutes later, and the two brothers disappeared out of the back door into the driving rain, hoping they would be able to find their missing brother.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews, they really meant a lot. Special thanks to Whirlgirl, thank you so much!**

**Well, after being blackmailed by a certain person, here I am with an update! I've had so much fun writing this, I think mainly because so many people have been involved with discussions about it. At the same time, it certainly has been very stubborn!**

**Silver Bee, see if you can spot the line that is in it for you. A hint? Something you said the other day! (And no, I don't mean stabbing Alan in the head!) And you are right, what is it with me and John's shoulder? I think I might actually hurt John more than I do Scott, stuff is always happening to him on the side!**

**Angel-Sue76 – please, please, **_**please, **_**don't talk to Sam1! Well, just not about what you are threatening! And Sam1 – don't tell her anything! Or I'll think you're ganging up on me! *pout* And thanking you for putting up with me moaning about this today!**

**And as for you, sister of mine, where have you been hiding all of those ideas this whole time? I was impressed!**

**Ok, crazily long A/N over, enjoy!**

"Virgil, come on!"

"I'm trying, my legs aren't as long as yours." Trying to hide the fact he was getting seriously out of breath, Virgil jogged a few steps, desperately attempting to keep up with his brother's long strides. One glance over his shoulder had Scott slowing down, smiling apologetically at his soaked brother.

"Where are we going?" Despite his best efforts, Virgil was unable to hide the fact his teeth were chattering. Fixing a smile onto his face as Scott peered at him, the young artist seriously hoped that Scott hadn't noticed. He knew it was pointless, however. Scott _always_ noticed.

"Maybe you should go back."

"No."

"Virg..."

"You'd have to take me back, I don't know the way from here," Virgil invented stubbornly, knowing that Scott wasn't going to believe him; the house was still in view. It had the desired effect, however, as his brother merely sighed, seemingly accepting his argument. Silently handing Virgil the flashlight, Scott grinned at his apparent confusion. With his hands free, he reached over; pulling up Virgil's collar and doing his zip up as far as it would go, trying to keep his kid brother as dry as possible.

"Scott, I _am _thirteen," Virgil instantly whined, sounding far younger. Secretly, though, he was touched. It was nice to have Scott acting like the big brother rather than the enemy for once.

"I know you are, kiddo," Scott responded with a rueful grin, taking the torch back again. Oh, but did he know that his brother had just become a teenager. That was one of the main reasons behind the tension that had been resting over the household.

"And I'm _certainly _not a kid!"

"Mm hmm. Come on, short stuff."

Grumbling under his breath, Virgil followed his brother, hoping that Scott didn't realise he was trying to keep as close as possible. There was no way Virgil Tracy was afraid of the dark. Tracys did not get scared, that was something his dad had always taught him. He was just feeling _slightly_ uncomfortable about being out in the middle of a thunderstorm in the pitch black with only Scott's flashlight leading the way.

_It's more than __Johnny's__ got._ A snide voice whispered in his head, causing a stab of guilt to be sent into the teenager. He knew that the arguments between him and Scott were getting John down, he hated it when any of them argued. In fact, considering John's loathing of their fights, it was quite a miracle that he got on so well with Gordon, the kid was always making trouble deliberately.

"Scott?"

"Yep?"

"Do you think John is scared?" Coming to a stop, Scott turned, frowning down at Virgil in the dim light of his torch. The kid's eyes were wide, and despite the fact he was trying to hide it, he was clearly scared. Running a hand distractedly through his wet hair, Scott sighed. This was all his fault. If only he had made more of an effort with his brothers, John wouldn't be out here and Virgil wouldn't look like it was taking all his courage not to simply bolt.

"Course not. You know how much Johnny loves the dark. He's probably having a great time. Which is more than he'll be having when I catch up with him." Adding the last part under his breath, Scott tried to smile reassuringly at Virgil, only knew by the glare that the younger boy was shooting him that he had heard it. Striding past Scott, Virgil made to set off into the darkness, determined to find his brother. Unfortunately for him, in comparison to some of his recent stormings out, it didn't have the desired effect. He instead got three paces in front of Scott, decided that he really needed the flashlight if he was going to take the lead and had to wait for his brother to move pass him again. As if knowing what Virgil's intention had been, Scott, instead of moving past him, fell into step with him.

"Don't take off on me, Virg, I can't lose you too." Frowning at the way Scott's voice seemed to tremble slightly, Virgil peered up at him.

"Are you cold too, Scott?" He asked innocently, causing his brother to smile gently down at him.

"I'm fine, kid." Swallowing hard, Scott turned his attention to back in front of them, determined to keep them on the path. The weather had been so uncertain lately that Scott was sure that the original path would no longer be there. He was cold, no matter what he told Virgil, but that certainly wasn't the only reason for the shivers making their way up and down his spine. John was out here somewhere, in the cold and wet, adamant that Scott didn't care. And Scott knew he had let it happen. He had pushed the boys away from him, and it was only now, surrounded by the blackness that his light was barely making an impression on, he realised.

"Virg?" Waiting until he had his brother's attention, Scott looped his arm around the artist's shoulders, suddenly noticing that Virgil had clearly hit another growth spurt.

"I'm sorry." And in that instant, Virgil was no longer the rebellious teenager determined to have his own way. He was the little brother again. Pressing into Scott's side, Virgil slipped his hand into his big brother's.

"Me too, Scotty." One hand holding tightly onto the flashlight, the other holding just as firmly onto Virgil's hand, Scott led the way into the darkness of the field. Silence had fallen between the two boys, but unlike the moody silences that had often fallen between the pair of them, this one was the way it used to be. Silence not because they had nothing to say to one another, but because words were not needed.

They had not been walking for long when something caught Virgil's eye, making him tug on Scott's hand frantically. Up until now, he had wondered where he was being lead too, curious as to how Scott knew John had even crossed the fields. Now, however, as the shadow of the barn came into his sight, he knew. John had had tonight marked on his calendar for ages, it was obviously some star gazing thing going on that Virgil didn't understand. But as the rain still managed to trickle its way down his collar, he knew why John would have come out. He had only experienced one of the nights out in the barn once, just before their mother had died. Jeff had taken John and Virgil over, knowing that they needed an escape from the younger two, but Scott hadn't joined them. A small smile tugging on the corners of his lips, Virgil seemed to remember his brother had been grounded at the time. He obviously wasn't the only one that had no problem in expressing his feelings then.

"What's so funny, Virg?" At Scott's innocent questioning, Virgil couldn't help it and burst out laughing. Up until now, he had always had memories of Scott doing as he was told, being the good son. It was partly why he had been so annoyed at him lately, everything felt like it was Virgil's fault. But the memory, having sprung unbidden into his mind, was a welcome reminder that Scott was only human, that he too had rows with their father as much as Virgil did.

"Nothing," Virgil practically spluttered, trying to bite back his laughter. Despite the comforting companionship that had fallen over the brothers, Virgil knew that it wouldn't last long if he mentioned what he was finding so amusing, and he had no desire for another argument with his brother. If he was honest, he was slightly scared that Scott would leave him, taking the torch and leave the young musician in the darkness on his own. The rational part of him knew it would never happen, but the fear was stronger than reality, so Virgil kept his mouth shut.

"Come on, Virgil, tell me. What's so funny?"

"Scott, look!" In a desperate bid to divert Scott's attention, Virgil quickly pointed in the direction of the barn. How his brother hadn't noticed, Virgil had no idea, Scott saw everything. But for some reason, the older boy had been keeping his gaze on the ground. Little did Virgil realise precisely how much he had been relying on his brother to steer them in the right direction, he hadn't even noticed they had left the path as they strode towards the barns. Hearing Scott let out an audible sigh of relief, Virgil spared his brother a glance. The tension in Scott's posture – something Virgil hadn't even noticed being there – suddenly disappeared, his shoulders dropping as he rolled his neck.

"Damn, Johnny, you know how to scare a guy." Muttering quietly, Scott forgot that his kid brother seemed to have superhuman hearing.

"You weren't scared, were you, Scotty?"

"Course not, Virg," Scott replied lightly, making to ruffle Virgil's hair, but finding the action somewhat restricted by the fact the artist had his hood up. "Come on, let's get John and go home, I'm soaked."

Their pace increasing once more with the prospect of being able to get into the warm and dry, silence fell between the brothers again, Virgil practically running to keep up with Scott. Within a matter of moments, they had reached the barns, Scott automatically helping Virgil up over the fallen beam. The beam had been fallen for as long as he could remember, yet their father had never shown any desire to fix it. Not that Scott wanted him too, it was part of what made the barn theirs. Clambering over it himself, Scott allowed the light from the torch illuminate the space.

"Where is he?" Virgil muttered quietly, his eyes following the light in an attempt to find John.

"In the loft, probably," Scott responded, desperately trying to keep his voice sounding neutral. The cold feeling was once more settling in his stomach, and despite not wanting Virgil to worry, Scott knew he was being hypocritical. He just had this feeling that something was very wrong.

"Stay here, Virg, see if you can see him."

"I'm not staying down here on my own!" Virgil protested strongly, making his way towards the ladder. This time, however, Scott gently held him back.

"Virgil, please. You know it's dangerous up there." Hearing a slight pleading note enter Scott's voice, Virgil nodded, biting his lip as he watched Scott approach the ladder. In the same second, they both realised that Scott wouldn't be able to get up there and keep hold of the torch, he would need both hands to climb. Turning towards his brother, Scott couldn't help but smile when he saw Virgil hold out his hand, already anticipating the next move. Taking the torch, Virgil shone the beam of light up towards the rafters as Scott began to climb. Pausing on the topmost rung of the ladder, soon all Virgil could see of his brother was the bottoms of Scott's feet.

"John? Hey, bro, you here? Come _on_, John, I'm sorry for being a jerk. Johnny?"

The silence that met Scott's call, however, was almost expected by the oldest brother. The niggling feeling in his gut had begun ever since he had led Virgil away from the path, only having noticed by the light of his torch that it curved away. He knew that there was no way John would have remembered to bring out a light with him. Whilst not the most impulsive of the brothers, when John decided to do something rebellious, he certainly went the whole way.

"Scott, is he ok?" Sighing, Scott breathed out sharply, not wanting to tell Virgil that they were going to have to go back out into the rain. Climbing down the ladder, Scott said not a word until he was level with his brother again. Looking Virgil directly in the eye, Scott softly shook his head.

"He's not here, Virg."

"What?" Virgil's yelp summed up quite nicely how Scott was feeling at the moment. He had refused to let the worry dominate, being certain that they would find John here, go back home, probably have a yelling match and that would be the end of that. Now, however, despite having a feeling he roughly knew his brother's whereabouts, Scott couldn't help but feel very young again. He wished Jeff was here, his dad would know how to fix things.

"It's alright, I think I know where he is. You remember the path turned away?" As Virgil shook his head, Scott gave up. "Alright, never mind. Come on, let's find John."

A few moments later, and it was a very subdued pair that re-emerged from the barn. All thoughts of soon being warm and dry, safely back at home with their brother had disappeared in the short time they had been in there. Now they were faced with the task of simply trying to find John. Scott knew the surrounding area well, his grandfather had taken him on many `adventures` when he was significantly younger, but John had never shown any interest, instead preferring to curl up with their mother with a book. Now though, Scott wished his brother had shown more interest, at least it would mean he would have been aware when the path turned away.

TBTBTB

"Ow!" John cursed softly to himself, attempting to rotate his shoulder whilst hopping at the same time. He knew this had been a bad idea, and now, stumbling through the trees, no longer even sure what direction he was going on, he was being forcibly reminded. His shoulder was aching slightly, but it was his ankle that was giving him the most grief, throbbing mercilessly. John wanted nothing more than to sit down, he didn't want to have to put any more weight on it, but as the rain trickled down his collar, he knew he had to keep moving. Any thoughts of the meteor shower had left his mind, all the blond was now worried about was finding his way home. Especially since their mother's death, John had prided himself on how independent he had become. He may not have helped Scott out with the others as much as he could have, but John certainly hadn't needed his big brother to look out for him for a very long time. Now, however, he hated that. He would do anything for Scott to be here now, tell him that he was an idiot and what did he think he was doing, running out like that? For if Scott were here, John knew that his big brother would be able to find the way home again.

Using the nearest tree as a support, John sagged against it, letting the wood take his weight. Switching his bag from his aching shoulder to his good one, the teenager pushed his sopping hair away from his eyes, sighing deeply as he looked towards the heavens, the rain hitting him in the face as he did so. Pushing himself upright, he stared about him for a moment, trying to work out what direction he had come from and where he should aim to go next. He knew he couldn't be far away from home, he hadn't even been walking for that long when he realised that he had lost his bearings, but for all John knew, he could have been in a different country, he simply did not recognise the surrounding area. Making to walk – or hobble – off again, something caught John's eye. A small beam of light was wavering in the distance, only just visible. But visible it was, and feeling a relieved smile cross his face, John set off towards the beacon that was guiding him forth.

His eyes locked on the light, John only glanced down occasionally to check where he was putting his feet, trying desperately to avoid anything that looked like it could possible snag on his sore ankle. As the light grew closer and closer, John found his speed picking up, a sense of excitement relighting his determination. His ankle, however, did not like that, and no sooner had he gone a couple of paces, he found that it suddenly gave out, causing him to once more sit rather suddenly on the floor. Pulling it into him with a hiss, John glanced up, feeling his heart sink. The light was gone.

"No! No, Scott, come on, where are you? Come and find me, big brother." His heart wrenching plea, however, only fell on his ears.

"Sitting here sulking isn't going to help," John quietly scolded himself, after a few moments of silent desperation, trying to force his heart to stop its erratic rhythm. He was logical, he could do this. First step, stand back up again.

Hauling himself to his feet with a groan, John locked his eyes on where he had last seen the light, and very slowly, began dragging himself forward again. The fact that he knew Scott was out here looking for him gave him courage, and as he stumbled forward, John suddenly realised why the light had disappeared. It wasn't that Scott had gone. No, it was because his brother was looking for him at the destination John himself had been aiming for. With a sense of purpose and the hope that he was beginning to regain his bearings, John kept his head down, walking forward with a dodgy determination as he aimed towards what he was desperately hoping was the barns.

He could not have been walking for any more than about ten minutes, but by the time John reached the barns, he felt like it had been a lifetime. He was cold, wet and sore, not to mention was suddenly finding himself feeling exhausted. He could barely even remember his reasoning behind coming out here, the meteors were certainly not this important. It seemed somewhat ironic that he had been so desperate for Scott to take notice of what it was his brother wanted to that had lead to him running out. That had certainly got the older Tracy's attention. Stumbling into the barn, John automatically pulled himself up the ladder before realising that he hadn't got here to star gaze. He had come looking for his brothers.

"No," his voice close to cracking, it suddenly dawned on the teenager that the barn was deserted. If Scott had been here, he certainly wasn't any more. Pulling himself wearily to his feet, John gazed out of the top of the barn, his eyes not really focusing on anything as he stared across the field. Sure his eyes were playing tricks on him, John blinked, peering again at a more specific point. There! It could not be denied, a light was weaving its way back across the field. With a sigh, John began to climb back down the ladder. He knew precisely where it was heading this time. Scott would have realised that John had followed the path rather than the route to the barn, and had now gone looking for him over there. Looked like John had to head right back over to where he had started.

TBTBTBTB

John had no idea how long he had been walking for this time when he decided that he really didn't know where he was. He was definitely back among the trees, of that he was certain, but the blond didn't know if he had been in this part already tonight or not. Not to mention that almost as soon as he had left his vantage point in the top of the barn, he had lost sight of the light again, meaning he had been stumbling in the dark in an attempt to find his brother. Shaking his head at the absurdity of the situation, John vowed there and then that he was never going to do anything irrational again.

"Don't you dare!" Blinking in surprise, John stopped suddenly, his heart pounding slightly faster than normal. He knew that voice. Scott was close.

"I'm going to get help." Freezing as he was about to take another step, John couldn't stop the small exclamation of astonishment slip past his lips. It hadn't even crossed his mind that Virgil would be out here as well, he had just assumed that Scott would have forbidden their younger brother to come out with him. Now feeling even guiltier, John felt a small smile slip onto his face as he heard Scott's angry retort. Even out here, in the middle of the cold and wet, his older and younger brothers were still bickering.

"Virgil, don't you take another step or so help me, I'll..."

"You'll what?" Rounding a tree, John found himself stumbling into a clearing, and out of the darkness, Scott and Virgil appeared. Scott was sitting on the floor, one hand used to hold his weight. The other hand, however, had the bottom of Virgil's coat in a firm grasp, stopping his younger brother from slipping away. The torch that had been leading John on the wild goose chase across the field was in Virgil's hand, his free one attempting to prise Scott's fingers away. At the sound of John's footsteps, both froze, their heads swivelling simultaneously, making John smirk at their impersonations of a meerkat.

"Hey, guys," John muttered softly, suddenly not finding himself able to meet their gaze. Within a second, Virgil had somehow pulled himself free of Scott's grip and threw himself at his brother, crushing the wind out of John as he subjected him to a firm embrace.

"Whoa, python, I kinda need to breath."

"Johnny, Scott's hurt."

"So are you, John." Scott suddenly announced, finally pulling himself to his feet and limping over. It wasn't his fault that the root had come out of nowhere and decided to trip him up! Running his eyes over his brother, Scott merely looked at him for a long moment, causing John to squirm slightly under the gaze before clapping him on the shoulder. Luckily for John, it was the one holding the bag, the one that didn't feel like it was developing a massive bruise.

"I'm fine." John murmured quickly. It was going to be bad enough that he had run out on Scott, he didn't want his brother knowing that he had managed to get himself hurt in the process. Especially as it looked like Scott had done the same thing. With a sudden realisation, John knew precisely where he was. They were in the exact same clearing where the root had tripped him. And judging from where Scott had been sitting, it was the same root.

"What did you do to your foot?"

"Same as you, Scotty." Finally meeting Scott's gazed head on, John swallowed hard at the look in his brother's eye. He had been expecting the seventeen year old to be angry, frustrated at the very least. What he hadn't expected to see was concerned mingled in with an apology.

"So what did you do to your shoulder?"

"What? Nothing, see..." Swinging his good arm freely, John knew instantly by the way Scott merely raised an eyebrow that his brother was not fooled for a second.

"John, you never carry your bag on your left shoulder."

"It's fine." Before Scott could make a further comment, however, Virgil got in first.

"Can we please go home now?" The quiet tone of his voice made both of his big brothers look towards him, just as he tried to stifle a yawn. He had no idea how long they had been out in the rain for, but Virgil knew that he really wanted to go to sleep now. It had to be past his bed time, and the constant trekking through the fields was beginning to take its toll on the young artist.

"Come on then, short stuff," Scott muttered fondly, looping his arm around Virgil's shoulders and giving them a quick squeeze before nudging his brother in the back. To John's amazement, Virgil didn't rise to the name, instead merely shot Scott a tired grin. Leading the way, Virgil didn't manage to get very far.

"Whoa!" His arms doing a wild impression of a windmill, Virgil felt like time was going in slow motion as the same root snagged around his foot. He was acutely aware of both Scott and John limping forward as fast as they could, but somehow –he had no idea how – Virgil managed to stay upright.

"Oh yeah, still standing." He said smugly, shooting his elder brothers a satisfied grin.

"Go you," Scott responded tonelessly, stumbling forward himself. If he was honest, it wasn't just Virgil that was feeling tired. It had certainly been an eventful night for him. Seeing Virgil stumble slightly in weariness, Scott smiled softly. Now this particular big brother role was one he had been doing for as long as he could remember. Reaching forward, he plucked the torch out of Virgil's hand and handed it to John without a word. Knowing what his brother was about to do, John took it, smiling softly. As Virgil peered towards them, confusion more than apparent, Scott bent down, his arms held out behind him invitingly.

"Hop on, kiddo." With a bigger grin than anyone had seen for a long time, Virgil scurried around his brother, clambering up onto Scott's back. With a slight huff as he straightened up again, Scott set off, John next to him and Virgil on his back.

Between Scott's navigation and John guiding them with the light, it only took the boys another ten minutes or so before the house came into view. Allowing Virgil to slither down from his back, Scott took the torch and John's bag from his other brother.

"Go and get changed and dry. I'll be up in a minute." Virgil hurried off without a word, obviously more than pleased to be home and about to be able to get out of the rain. John, however, made it as far as the back door, where he paused. One hand on the handle, he turned to face his big brother.

"Scott, I-,"

"No, John. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been such an idiot. I'm so sorry. Forgive me?"

"Who are you and what have you done with Scott Tracy?"

"Go on, star man," Scott responded with a soft laugh, wondering whether it was his imagine, but the rain appeared to be letting up. "Go and dry off."

"I _am_ sorry, Scotty." And before his brother had the chance to answer, John also disappeared through the door. Striding forward as best as he could, Scott paused in the same spot John had. He was now convinced the rain was letting up, and glancing over his shoulder, he saw a small break in the clouds. Just visible, a single star shone through. Smiling, Scott sighed deeply before letting himself in.

"Thanks, Mom."

**And believe it or not, it was not my decision to hurt Scott! I may have kidnapped him, drugged him, poisoned him, restrained him and given him more melt downs than I want to recall, but it was NOT my fault he tripped up! *looks pointedly at a certain sister* Oh… maybe it just runs in the family?**

**One more chapter to go after this! Reviews, anyone?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much to all of you who have taken the time to review on this, it means so much to me! Special thanks to Whirlgirl, Sunny and Big Sis (hehe!) as I cannot respond directly to you, thank you, your reviews were really appreciated!**

**Oh, and before I get killed... maybe Silver Bee didn't **_**quite **_**mention stabbing Alan in the head... that might have been me. Sorry! But she gave me the idea, so it is not all my fault! But it is not hers either, so be nice, Alan-fans! Sorry – it was a very long story that isn't quite what it seemed! **

**Enjoy, and please let me know what you thought?**

Shutting the door softly behind him, Scott quickly turned the key in the lock, automatically sticking it on the hook by the door. With a wry smile, he couldn't help but note that he could only just reach the hook, even now. There would be no fear of anyone going for another adventure tonight. Placing John's bag gently on the floor – he knew full well what would be inside – Scott shrugged off his coat. Hanging it up next to his brothers', he winced inwardly at seeing how obviously wet they were. Kicking off his shoes and letting them lie where they fell, Scott made a mental note to move all three pairs before his father got home. The mud stains were more than evidence enough that the boys had been out in the field; there hadn't been rain like this for quite a few weeks.

Crossing through the kitchen, Scott got as far as the bottom of the stairs when a sudden idea hit him. Spinning on his heel, Scott quickly re-entered the kitchen, pulling down the first three mugs he laid eyes on. Opening the fridge, he swiftly pulled the milk out, using his foot to prop the door open until he was done. Reaching above his head, he grinned when he caught sight of the cupboard door still slightly ajar from where John had been raiding it beforehand. Within a matter of seconds, the powder had been measured out, and somehow Scott managed to juggle the three mugs over to the microwave, rather uncertain how he managed to not spill anything. A couple of minutes later, the microwave signalling it was finished, Scott was ready. Placing the three hot chocolates on the tray he had managed to dig out from the back of the cupboard, lining them up in order to make room for the plate of biscuits. He had found them in the back of the cupboard the day before by accident, and as they clearly hadn't been touched for some time, the eldest brother really didn't think that anyone would miss them.

Now fully laden, Scott carefully made his way up the stairs, desperately trying not to stand on the end of his wet jeans. He knew from past experience that was not a pleasant experience, but for now, he would just have to be careful. His eyes flickering over to Virgil's room the moment he reached the top of the stairs, Scott grinned when he caught sight of the darkened room. Why was he not surprised that Virgil was not in his room?

Automatically heading towards John's room, Scott paused outside of the shut door. Leaning close, he could make out the voices of his brothers within, and finding his grin growing even wider, he nudged his elbow against the door.

"Knock, knock!"

"Come in!"

"Erm... can someone _let_ me in?" Sounding rather pathetic, Scott could only wait as the footsteps sounded across the room. Within a matter of seconds, however, Virgil's head appeared around the doorway. On seeing sight of the laden tray in Scott's hands, his face split into a grin and he pulled the door open rather violently, shooting John an apologetic look afterwards. John, however, only had eyes for the steaming mugs in Scott's hands, his gaze flickering momentarily onto the cold drink standing by his bed. Ignoring the guilt that had suddenly appeared in John's eyes, Scott carefully set the tray down on the edge of the desk, shooting Virgil a look as the youngest member of the family present inched closer. Immediately, Virgil backed up, grinning guiltily and causing his biggest brother to reach over and ruffle his hair fondly. The last few hours had seen the return of the Virgil they loved rather than the moody teenager that had taken his place. Little did Scott know he was mirroring his brothers' thoughts. Only they weren't thankful for Virgil's return, but Scott's.

"I'm gonna get cleaned up, save me some." Scott announced, suddenly jealous about the way both brothers were in their pyjamas, snuggled into their dressing gowns as well. Shivering slightly as he left, Scott broke into a jog, almost throwing himself into his room. Yanking his t-shirt over his head even as he wriggled out of his jeans, Scott was soon dressed as warmly as his brothers. Sparing a quick glance at his phone, Scott was instantly worried to find that he had over ten missed calls. They hadn't been outside _that_ long, despite what it felt like. Flicking it open, he frantically hit a few buttons, his heart returning to its normal speed when he caught sight of who all ten were from. He had no desire to speak to Mandy. If it wasn't for her, Scott knew that tonight would not have happened; that he would have had more time for the boys. Tossing the phone onto his bed, Scott left again, only pausing to do a quick detour into the bathroom. Grabbing the nearest towel, he dragged it through his hair as he made his way back into John's room.

One glance at his younger brothers, and Scott knew they were up to something. Both were wearing identical innocent expressions that Scott knew instantly meant they were guilty of something. Watching them for a moment, his eyebrows raised as the corners of Virgil's mouth twitched, Scott sighed, his gaze flickering over to the tray. Both of the boys were clutching mugs, but somehow, it didn't come as a surprise to their elder sibling to see his cup was missing. Letting the towel rest around his shoulders, Scott simply stared, wondering who was going to break first. As John merely stared impassively back, even though his eyes were dancing in amusement, Scott switched his attention. Virgil had been struggling to contain himself anyway, but as soon as Scott fixed him with the "look", he cracked, dissolving into giggles.

"Problem, Virg?" Scott asked innocently, sharing a grin with John. Shaking his head, Virgil shakily put his mug back down again, struggling to get a grip on himself. No sooner had he managed it, however, when he glanced at Scott again and was set straight back off again.

"I don't even have to do anything," Scott commented lightly, winking at his star loving brother. Taking another swig of his drink, John smiled fondly at the sight in front of him. The sight of seeing Scott and Virgil in the same room and yet both of them being so relaxed was not something that had been seen for a number of months. After a few moments, Virgil slowly managed to regain control of himself, his breathing slightly erratic. Crossing the room, Scott came to a stop behind him, flicking the towel from his shoulders and running it through Virgil's hair, trying to get some of the wetness out of it.

"Scott!" Virgil instantly whined, making to move away from his brother. Scott's hand on his shoulder, however, stopped him from doing anything other than squirming.

"Humour me," Scott responded gently, and to his amazement, Virgil fell still. Once he was done, he sent John a meaningful look over his shoulder. Sighing, the blond placed his drink down, freeing up both hands in just enough time to catch the towel as Scott threw it over. Giving Virgil's shoulder a quick squeeze, Scott suddenly leant forward past his brother.

"Aha!" He declared triumphantly, pulling his mug out from under the desk. He could tell that they hadn't had time to plan it properly; it was scary what John could come up with when he set his mind to it. No wonder Gordon looked up to him so much.

Carefully cradling his mug, Scott moved across the room, coming to a stop next to John's bed and plonking himself down on it. John quickly mirrored his position, sitting next to him and stretching his legs out with a sigh, thankful that the throbbing in his ankle had reduced. Judging by the way Scott wasn't limping as badly either; he knew the same could be said for his brother. Whether it had actually got better, or simply the relief at having all of them back home again in the warm and dry, the blond couldn't say. Virgil glanced over at them for a long moment, before looking back into his mug. Watching him with identical expressions, both Scott and John simultaneously lifted their mugs clear into the air as Virgil suddenly bounded across the room, working his way up the bed until he was in-between his brothers. Smiling fondly down at him, John waited until his little brother had stopped wriggling before bringing his mug back to his lips. Taking one last swig, he then offered it to Virgil, chortling as the young teenager's face lit up and he quickly finished it off. Placing it next to the cold drink still by his bed, John folded his arms behind his head, gazing out of the window. The clouds had cleared up somewhat, a few stars managing to break through the covering.

Glancing over as Scott placed his mug on the floor; John surprised himself by suddenly yawning. Smiling pointedly, Scott made to say something to Virgil, when suddenly the younger boy snuggled into Scott's side, one arm throwing itself across his stomach. Automatically, Scott wrapped his arm around Virgil, allowing his brother to rest his head against Scott's chest. Glancing back at John, Scott smiled gently when he caught sight of his brother. In those few seconds, John had slipped further down the bed, his head now resting in the crook of his elbow, his breathing even. Judging by the way Virgil had also suddenly relaxed even more, Scott knew instantly that both of his brothers were fast asleep. Smiling down at the top of Virgil's head, Scott suddenly felt a rush of love blossoming out.

"Missed you, kiddo," he murmured softly, before suddenly yawning himself. Within a matter of moments, Scott too had fallen asleep, his head resting atop of Virgil's.

TBTBTB

Yawning so widely that his jaw cracked in protest, Jeff shook his head in order to try and clear it as he fumbled for the lock. He had driven for three hours, checked into the hotel, only to then receive a message that the meeting had been postponed due to illness. Preferring to make as much of the unexpected time off as he could with the boys, Jeff had stretched his legs for an hour before hitting the road again. Now, just having gone past two in the morning, he was finally home. It would mean, however, that he would have the whole of the morning with his eldest three before their younger brothers returned home, something that had not happened for a while.

Stumbling through the door, Jeff quickly locked it behind him, almost throwing his keys over the hook. Dropping his overnight bag and briefcase at the bottom of the stairs, the father immediately headed up them, rolling his neck as he did so. If he was honest, he was glad that he would be able to crash in his own bed, nothing relieved a stiff back more than that. Reaching the top of the stairs, Jeff glanced about him, half wondering which of the boys he should check on first when he suddenly felt himself wide awake. The light was still on in John's room. He knew it was not unlike the young star gazer to be up at strange times of the night, not to mention the amount of times his father had found him asleep, book still clutched in his hand. But Jeff couldn't stop a tendril of worry eat its way into him. John had looked so miserable when his father had left the house earlier that evening. Pausing halfway through loosening his tie, Jeff swallowed hard, stealing his way along the dimly lit hallway. Silently pushing the door open with one hand, Jeff found himself hard pushed not to gasp at the sight that greeted him. All three of his sons were fast asleep on John's bed. Scott had his arm wrapped around Virgil, the thirteen year old's head resting lightly on his big brother's chest. John was curled up in the far corner of the bed, a content look on his face and one of his arms slung casually across Virgil's back. His heart swelling with love for his boys, Jeff quietly crept out again.

Tiptoeing along the corridor, he passed Virgil's open door, smiling when he remembered confining his son to his room for the evening. If, by disobeying his father, the boys had finally reached some sort of truce, there was no way Jeff was going to say anything, it would be nice for some sort of peace to descend once more on the family. Stealing into Scott's dark room, Jeff cursed under his breath as he almost tripped on something lying in the middle of his son's floor, making him frown in confusion. Whatever it was, it had felt damp through his father's sock. Deciding he was too tired to face the challenge of working out what was spread across the floor _this_ time, Jeff merely carried on, scooping his son's double quilt into his arms. Hearing a small thunk, Jeff glanced down, noting Scott's phone now sitting innocently on the floor. As the display lit up, the father frowned, bending down to pick it up. One glance confirmed his suspicions; he had a number of missed calls, quite a few of them from the last few hours. His curiosity over coming anything else, Jeff glanced guiltily at the door, almost expecting his son to appear, accusations burning in his eyes. But Scott remained fast asleep with his brothers, and scrolling through the list, Jeff found himself grinning at the fact he hadn't bothered to call Mandy back.

"Atta boy, Scotty," Jeff breathed, feeling a sense of relief grow in him. He had been concerned over Scott's new girlfriend; he had seen how she had changed his normally relaxed son. But, after promising his mother he wouldn't say anything, Jeff had kept out of it, knowing his eldest child needed to learn this lesson for himself. And looking at the number of missed calls he had, not to mention his current position, it looked like he had.

Grinning tiredly, Jeff made his way swiftly back up the hall, once more entering John's room. Nearly kicking over Scott's now empty mug, Jeff somehow managed to throw the quilt over his boys, covering them all under the warmth. Holding his breath as Scott shifted slightly, Jeff relaxed just as quickly as his seventeen year old merely sighed, unconsciously tightening his grip around Virgil. Watching them with a fond smile, Jeff suddenly found himself yawning again. With a regretful shake of his head, Jeff made his way into his own room. As much as he wanted to stay and watch his boys, he too needed his sleep.

TBTBTB

Breathing in deeply, Scott sighed as he slowly peeled his eyes open, feeling warm and relaxed. It wasn't just physically, however, it was almost as if a great weight had been lifted from him, making him feel calmer than he had done for months. Glancing down at the top of Virgil's head, he smiled fondly, knowing precisely why. Sparing a glance over to the other side of the bed, he felt his smile widen.

"Mornin' Johnny."

"Hey," John murmured back, thankful that at least one of the others was now awake. Sitting up against his wall, John had been forced to spend the last half an hour absently staring out of the window, he couldn't get up even if he wanted too.

"You ok, dude?"

"I'm stuck." At the look that could easily resemble a pout emerged on John's face, Scott chuckled. Slowly wriggling to the side, he managed to slip out from Virgil, only the younger boy subconsciously latched on as Scott tried to move.

"Virg, budge."

"Mmm."

"Virgil." Somehow, Scott managed to free himself from Virgil's grip, marvelling at how dead to the world the young artist still appeared to be. Seeing the mattress move, he grinned when he caught sight of John standing up on the bed. Almost as if he was counting down under his breath, the blond suddenly leapt across, landing with a rather heavy thud on the floor. Immediately steadying him by the elbow, Scott grimaced in sympathy at the wince that had show across John's face when he landed on his ankle.

"When did you get your quilt, Scott?" John asked quietly, stifling a yawn and running his hand through his hair. He knew that Scott had still been awake when he had fallen asleep, and just assumed that his brother had slipped out to get it. One glance at the confused look on the elder boy's face, however, and John knew that was not the case.

"How the-?" Understanding suddenly sprung into both of their heads at the same time, and sharing a grin, the two teenagers spoke a single word simultaneously.

"Dad."

Dashing for the stairs, the pair of them both felt like they were no more than children again, excited when their father came home from a conference. With the adventures of the night before burnt into their minds, however, they were grateful he was back. Scott had just reached the top of the stairs when he skidded to a stop with a curse, causing John to slam into his back.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"The shoes, coats and your telescope are by the door still."

"Damn."

"And Virgil is in your room."

"So?"

"What was I supposed to be doing last night?"

"Ah. Keeping him in his own."

"How are we going to tell Dad?"

"We're not. We're going to see what he says. You never know, he may not have noticed the stuff, and if it means you and Virg have stopped arguing, then he'll probably be alright with it."

"Nice thinking, Johnny. Hey, Virgil and I aren't that bad!"

"Mmm hmm. Come on, I'm starving."

Going at a much slower rate as their ankles refused to support the mad dash through the house, the two brothers shared a reassuring look before pushing the door open to the kitchen. Glancing up as the door opened, Jeff glanced over the top of his paper, smiling when he saw the boys materialise.

"Morning." He said softly, smiling gently at the excited look in their eyes. He could still vividly remember an eight year old Scott managing to persuade John to stay up half the night to wait for their father to get home, despite the fact he wasn't arriving until the next day. How Lucille had managed to get them into bed, Jeff still had no idea, but one look at their faces, and he was quite touched to know things hadn't changed in the last ten years or so.

"Morning, Dad." Scott called somewhat cheerfully, striding into the kitchen. Watching him with a frown, Jeff could have sworn that his son was favouring one leg over the other.

"Are you alright, Son?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Are you limping?"

"Nah, dead leg that's all. Must have slept funny."

"I'm not surprised, considering Virgil was practically on top of you." To Jeff's amusement, the back of Scott's neck began to burn and he sheepishly grinned at his father. When nothing more was said, however, he seemed to relax, pulling bowls down from the cupboard. In the time Jeff was distracted by his brother, John took the opportunity to quickly limp across the kitchen himself. Unfortunately for him, however, nothing got past Jeff Tracy.

"Don't tell me, you slept funny as well?" Laying down his paper properly, Jeff ran his eyes critically over his sons. If it wasn't for the fact that they were both limping, Jeff would have said they looked better than he had seen them for several months. That didn't, however, provide a reason as to why they were both favouring one leg, nor why he had found all three boys in one room. Something dramatic must have happened in order for Scott and Virgil to make up that quickly, the artist's temper was becoming somewhat legendary. Before he could express his concerns, however, the final son that was playing on his thoughts came scuffling into the kitchen, yawning widely the whole time.

"Well, look who has decided to join us, then." Scott commented with a laugh, reaching up and pulling down another bowl as Virgil shot him a mock glare. Scott, however, merely grinned back at his brother, causing Virgil to sigh and let his features smooth themselves into a smile. Watching them in the utmost confusion, Jeff could safely conclude that these were not the same sons he had left sulking the day before. Crossing the kitchen, Virgil suddenly stopped halfway across with a small gasp. As the rest of the family turned to look at him, he locked eyes with John, tilting his head towards the back door, obviously coming to the same conclusion as Scott had. When Jeff noticed the shoes and telescope, he would almost be able to guess precisely what had happened. As John grimaced ever so slightly back at him, a clear indication that neither he nor Scott knew how to move the stuff without Jeff noticing, Virgil winked in return.

"For god's sake, Scott, I don't want that." As Scott looked slightly taken aback from where he had been trying to offer his brother the bowl, Virgil repeated his action and winked at his brother. The tiniest of smiles flickered across Scott's face, almost as if he knew precisely what Virgil was planning.

"Virgil, temper." Jeff immediately scolded, rethinking his previous thought. Virgil was clearly the same.

"Fine." Virgil snapped, stalking to the far end of the kitchen, coming to a stop by the door. "I've got better things to do."

Reaching down, he slung John's bag across his back, adamantly not looking at the horrified expression on his brother's face at the violent treatment.

"What's that?" Jeff asked, unable to hide his curiosity. He was sure that was John's bag.

"School books, what else?" Virgil snapped, sparing half a glance at his brothers. Knowing precisely where this was heading, John decided to play along, trying to help his brother out.

"You nicked my bag, you little tyke!"

"So, what you going to do about it?" Virgil responded heatedly, making sure he kept his back to his father to hide the telltale signs of a grin working its way onto his face. Pretending to kick out at the counter – something Virgil was ashamed to admit he had done more than once recently – he instead kicked all three pairs of shoes under it, successfully hiding them from view.

"Virgil, room, now!" As Virgil skulked past, John and Scott traded amazed looks. Since when had their brother been that much of an actor? Giving his brother a head start, Scott silently slipped a piece of toast from the rack.

"I'm going to get dressed." Walking in an almost crab-like impression, Scott left the kitchen, one hand clasped firmly behind his back. Watching him with raised eyebrows, Jeff then turned his attention onto the son he could normally rely on for a logical –and sane – explanation. To his astonishment, John was also looking rather sheepish, and at his father's look, winced ever so slightly.

"Oh away with you, I don't want to know." Shaking his head with a fond smile at their antics, Jeff wasn't sure whether he should feel hurt or not by the way John almost bolted from the kitchen. The boys were up to something, Jeff wasn't as thick as they thought. He had seen the communication between the boys, messages being portrayed without words being spoken. He had also witnessed enough teenager tantrums, not to mention he knew his son almost better than Virgil knew himself, to know that hadn't been real. Either way, he had to give them credit; they worked scarily well as a team. Leaving it a few minutes, Jeff set off up the stairs after his fleeing sons, determined to get to the bottom of it all.

Creeping along the hall, Jeff knew instantly where the boys were. Scott's bedroom door was still open, a rare occurrence if he was in there, and John's room was also looking suspiciously deserted. Virgil's door, however, was firmly shut, and as Jeff stole closer, he could hear voices coming from within.

"Did you have to be so violent with it?" John was in the process of whining, causing Jeff to inch closer, now even more confused than beforehand.

"I had to make it look real. Why on earth would I be careful with school books, you know I dropped my bag down the stairs the other day."

"Threw it, more like." Scott muttered, and Jeff knew instantly by the muffled thud that the eldest brother had just been smacked with a pillow for that comment. What made his heart soar, however, was the laughter that followed it. "Oh here, Virg, thought you might like breakfast."

"So he is the only one that gets it?" John said somewhat sourly. It was only then that Jeff remembered that he may have sent Virgil upstairs before he could have eaten, but that his two older brothers had also left, the bowls still on the counter where Scott had left them.

"It's a good job I've got more then, isn't it?" Scott's teasing voice floated back out. For a moment, there was silence, and Jeff was contemplating leaving them too it, no closer to finding out what was going on than he had been when he arrived home the night before. Just before he could move, however, Virgil spoke again.

"We may have a problem though."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, I kicked the shoes a bit hard. I don't know how we are going to get them out again, especially as they are covered in mud."

"Oh. Erm..."

The End.

**Until next time then... Ta ta!**


End file.
